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Grazie Mille, Associazione Romana Acquerellisti!

7/31/2016 1:02:25 PM

I must have left my heart in Rome because I can't stop thinking about it. From a daily walk to a neighborhood bar for my morning (strong Italian) coffee, to hauling all the plein-air painting gear across town in the 98-degree heat (and in the sun), to an evening stroll (with a gelato) to chill out feeling a breeze from the Tiber, to a nightly summer rock concert in Piazza del Popolo - just to name a few. There was so much to experience, discover and learn in this city that is simply amazing on so many levels; the best way [...]

artmatch4U October Artist of the Month

10/22/2012 3:02:13 AM

I am honored that Cindy Salaski, the founder of artmatch4U and a very versatile artist herself, has chosen my work to be featured on her comprehensive art website this month. As October Artist of the Month, I have three of my paintings published. Thank you, Cindy - it was such a pleasure working with you for this feature article. Roma, Italia XLI Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 55 x 74 cm Frame/Mat: No Purchase: Sold - Join me on Facebook and follow my blog on NetworkedBlogs. - Follow me on Google+.- Visit my gallery at Daily Paintworks.- Follow me on Twitter- FASO Artist Websites - Easy, Professional Art Websites [...]

Roma, Italia XXXIX, Italian Landscape Painting

9/22/2010 3:34:36 AM

At the base of the Spanish Steps, shadows of palm trees in the square grew longer and longer as the sun set. They crawled up on brightly-colored walls of the surrounding buildings like they wanted to reach the sky but soon they were absorbed into the warmth of orange walls. The square, Piazza di Spagna, was full of people and there were also several horses waiting for riders in their carriages. When Charles Dickens came here in 1845, he described the crowded square as a meeting place "for artists' models, who would dress [...]

Roma, Italia XXXVIII, Italian Landscape Painting

9/18/2010 11:17:17 PM

When visiting a new place, isn't it human nature to want to see as many famous sights and landmarks as possible? Even if you tell yourself that you will return someday, you tend to think this is the only chance you get to do them all. This may be especially true when visiting historic and culturally significant cities such as Rome. Sometimes I am like that, but sometimes I do the complete opposite and just wander around with no concrete plans. In fact I enjoy this way a lot more than the other as I often come upon a banal [...]

Roma, Italia XXXVII, Italian Landscape Painting

9/17/2010 1:58:40 AM

I love painting outdoor markets (click here to see some of my market paintings). They are lively, inviting and fun. There are lots of different colors, shapes, smells and tastes that are so tempting to try, or at least try to interpret, in a painting. But what I like most about markets is people who gather there. Each interaction between vendors, shoppers, neighbors, friends, or even strangers is just like a vignette from a movie, and that is intriguing to watch or participate in. That is also what attracts me to depict in my market paintings - something that almost never [...]

Roma, Italia XXXVI, Italian Landscape Painting

9/15/2010 2:23:20 AM

Roma, Italia XXXVI Not being formally trained in art and not being afraid of creative experimentation are like two sides of the coin. I don't mean it in any offensive way, however, because anybody who creates art embraces the freedom to experiment regardless of their background. But for those (including myself) who didn't go to art schools to learn what they teach, ignorance may be bliss in order to gain experience by trying new things without worrying about do's and dont's (or grades?). Of course, without proper guidance, that could easily mean lots of bad paintings and a sense of failure [...]

Roma, Italia XXXV, Italian Landscape Painting

9/12/2010 3:55:34 AM

A few minute's walk from Piazza Navona, there's a square called Campo de' Fiori (field of flowers), known for a lively outdoor market of, not just flowers but also fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, cheese, etc. I was not really hungry but I couldn't resist picking up a couple of juicy peaches that looked so good. After washing them, I sat by a fountain and sank my teeth into one of them. The square was mildly crowded then but I heard that it's usually packed with the young crowd every night. Peaceful as it may appear, Campo de' Fiori was a rough [...]

Roma, Italia XXXIV, Italian Landscape Painting

7/28/2010 2:40:07 AM

I am revisiting the same subject (the Spanish Steps) for today's painting. This from the base at the Piazza di Spagna is most likely one of the best-known views of Rome. A long stairway leading up to a beautiful church with twin bell towers; really warm colors of the buildings on both sides, and lots and lots of people. However, to admire this lively view is one thing, to paint it is quite another, especially in a format that I use for my daily painting. There's just too much information there to put in a small painting! So, as a way to deal [...]

Bridges over the Tiber, Rome, Italy

7/25/2010 2:12:55 AM

It is interesting to see on a map how Rome is divided into two sections by the River Tiber. Compared to the bigger east side with all the famous monuments, the west side may be less well-known but has a distinctively unique character. When I'm in Rome, I like walking through back alleys to come to the riverbanks of the Tiber. In Roma, Italia XXXII is one of the bridges near the Castel Sant'Angelo, and Roma, Italia XXXIII shows a view from it. Watching the river run and taking in the surrounding scenery from this bridge, I think of [...]

Roma, Italia XXXI, Italian Landscape Painting

7/23/2010 11:56:34 AM

Out of many squares in Rome, who wouldn't love the Piazza della Rotonda? Some might ask, "where is that?" because the name of the square may not be as popular as the image of it. But "rotonda" meaning a round building in Italian, it's easy to think of one, a famous one, that fits the description - the Pantheon. Always crowded and lively, this square is so well-known that, if you can't remember the name, you can simply say to your friend, "let's meet up in the square of the Pantheon." This is how I started this painting. [...]

Roma, Italia XXX, Italian Landscape Painting

7/21/2010 2:22:16 AM

Roma, Italia XXX The original Piazza del Popolo (the People's Square) was completely redesigned and remodeled by architect Giuseppe Valadier in the early 19th century, and today it boasts a huge, beautiful and very popular space in Rome. Because the redesign was well thought out, many angles from this square offer aesthetically spectacular views. My favorite is this view of twin churches and an obelisk that was brought from Egypt in 10 BC. I hope I was able to suggest how immense this place is by placing people and tiny cars in the distance. Roma, Italia XXX Media: [...]

Roma, Italia XXIX, Italian Landscape Painting

7/20/2010 2:03:46 AM

- But don't you have to work? - Work? No, today's going to be a holiday. Then Princess Ann and Joe Bradley go on to have all kinds of silly fun in Rome. The Eternal City. The City of Fountains. While Rome looks splendid in all seasons, it shines the best in the summertime. Starting with this painting of the Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza Navona, I am going to visit (paint) several spots, some depicted in the film Roman Holiday, this week and the next - just to feel as if I was enjoying a wonderful [...]

Roma, Italia XXVII, Italian Landscape Painting

3/3/2010 2:04:53 AM

When I wanted to paint this scene, I was most attracted to how the lines were forming an interesting design already. Long, vertical lines of buildings on both sides of a narrow alley and diagonal lines of shadows cast on the incredibly bright yellow walls seemed to be melting into the dark shadows on the ground. Then, there was a small outdoor café. When it's so hot it feels like roads are literally melting, there's no doubt in my mind that everyone will love granita di caffe (sweetened coffee slush) – con panna (topped with whipped cream), of course. Roma, Italia [...]

Tazza d'Oro, Rome IV, Italian Landscape Painting

2/25/2010 1:57:05 AM

Tazza d'Oro, Rome, Italy IV In this alley near the Pantheon, if you notice a rich aroma wafting through the air, it must be from a coffee house Tazza d'Oro (golden cup). As many of their fans will attest, their coffee is simply number one. I heard that some actually travel miles from other cities for a cup of their espresso. Buildings on the opposite side, incidentally, display dazzling colors of gold and orange as the light bounces off from one side to the other. Morning sunlight is already intense here in the summer. But if you can have this view [...]

Roma, Italia XXVI, Italian Landscape Painting

2/16/2010 1:28:28 AM

Roma, Italia XXVI Walking away from the Pantheon, I turned to take the last look at it. I wanted to make sure it was still there, and I was relieved to see it at the end of the street. Silly me, it had been there for almost two millenia. It'd be the last thing in Rome to disappear like mirage, if that was what I was afraid of. This street, as many others in Rome, is lined with buildings that had weathered walls in really fascinating colors. Sienna, burnt orange, salmon, pale magenta, gold... In this painting, I had so much fun splashing [...]

Roma, Italia XXV, Italian Landscape Painting

2/15/2010 1:29:50 AM

The Pantheon -- what an awe-inspiring place! This magnificent domed temple must be the work of angels, as Michelangelo put it. After experiencing the sheer exhilaration and an almost surreal sensation while being inside, can one simply leave here and move on to the next sight? I think many visitors would like to linger on for a while. To stay for another 30 minutes and admire the exterior of the Pantheon wouldn't be such a bad idea. In this painting, at a cafe-restaurant appropriately named Bar Pantheon, people are enjoying that and whatever else is going on around them. [...]

Roma, Italia XXIV, Italian Landscape Painting

2/2/2010 3:29:20 AM

Just when I got used to constant noise of cars and scooters on my first day in Rome, I thought I heard "waterfall." What could it be? Around the corner, there it was, not a waterfall, but a beautiful fountain spouting water up in the air, in the middle of a traffic circle, Piazza della Repubblica. The semi-circular piazza is surrounded by buildings with porticos, and this cafe bar was under one of the porticos or arcades. Not a bad place to take a coffee break especially on a very warm day. Roma, Italia XXIV Click here for an enlarged view. [...]

Roma, Italia XXIII, Italian Landscape Painting

1/26/2010 1:56:48 AM

Roma, Italia XXIII Shadows on a street leading up to St. Peter's Basilica suggest it is midday. I like it when bright sun creates dark edges that I enjoy painting against areas in the lighter value. But in this painting, I really had fun with colors -- the colors of paints that I happened to have on my palette yesterday. A small palette that I normally use when I travel needed cleaning. So I was going to start a day by washing this. When I looked at it, some paints had been used up but the colors that still remained were [...]

Roma, Italia XXII, Italian Landscape Painting

1/25/2010 12:49:47 AM

Roma, Italia XXII Crossing Piazza Venezia is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Cars, taxis, buses, lots of scooters and occasional horse carriages seem to come and go from anywhere and incessantly. So, anybody who deals with traffic on the Rome's busiest square must have one of the most thrilling jobs. This traffic control officer, standing on a podium in the middle of the piazza was a testament to that. Wearing a white helmet, white gloves and a whistle around his neck, he was signaling to drivers who poured into Piazza Venezia from all directions. Given the traffic condition, I had to [...]

Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City II, Italian Landscape Painting

8/9/2009 1:02:40 AM

St-Peter's Square, Rome, Italy I like meeting art-loving people who come to see my works and talk with me when I do an outdoor art show. It's nice to see them enjoy my paintings in person (but sometimes they challenge me with difficult questions!). In a relaxed atmosphere, our conversation often advances from art to other topics. We share stories of our travels and families, friends and pets -- and feel the power of art that connects us on a very personal level. At an art show I did earlier this year, a rather quiet man in the 50s or early 60s purchased my original watercolor of Saint Peter's Square. He said to me, [...]

La Casa del Caffe, Rome, Italy, Italian Landscape Painting

8/8/2009 1:19:39 AM

La Casa del Caffe, Rome, Italy I This coffee house, near the Pantheon in the heart of Rome, must be famous or their coffee must be real good as there was a constant stream of people coming in and out. But to me, what was intriguing was a fleeting moment I happened to catch at the time I was there: A couple hurriedly walked in this coffee house (They must be anxious to get the shop's popular espresso). Old ladies were shooting the breeze at the corner (They must be neighbors, perhaps gossiping). A group of students with backpacks were quite noisy (They must have just visited the Pantheon on a school field trip). Buildings [...]

More Paintings of Via Condotti, Rome, Italy

8/7/2009 1:32:04 AM

Roma, Italia I When I paint a subject or a scene, I do it thinking it is a one-time shot. Because the subject chooses me, not the other way around. How am I supposed to know when or if it chooses me again? That's why I take it seriously when an inspiration hits me. After giving it all I got, I feel I'm done with it and ready to move on to another subject. But some scenes are just addictive. I keep going back to them, and every time they want me to paint something about them. Via Condotti, a street leading up to the Piazza di [...]

Roma, Italia XX, Italian Landscape Painting

8/6/2009 1:28:18 AM

A street leading up to the Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps was filled with people. Just before the sunset, the quality of light was marvelous to paint. Many locals were enjoying the evening passeggiata (little walk) while a large number of tourists and vacationers were going to see the famous sight. This particular street, Via Condotti, is now lined up with elegant shops of brand names and expensive restaurants, almost like Beverly Hills. But this is Rome, an ancient city full of historical anecdotes. In Roman times, it carried water to the Baths of Agrippa and it was named after conduits or channels (source: Wikipedia). [...]

Roma, Italia II (Spanish Steps), Italian Landscape Painting

3/21/2009 10:51:44 PM

I hope you can feel the intense heat of a Roman summer in the dry brushstrokes on the buildings and in the lost edges of the trees. I hope you can hear the people laughing and talking and that you'll join them for the fun of being here. The area around here is always full of people, especially in the summer. I know it's a touristy thing to do but who could leave Rome without visiting the Spanish Steps? And if you're lucky enough to be there, who wouldn't think about the romantic movie Roman Holiday? Although there may be [...]

Albergo Abruzzi, Rome, Italy III, Italian Landscape Painting

3/21/2009 1:00:04 AM

Albergo Abruzzi, Rome, Italy III The summer sun is intense in Rome. I took it rather lightly on my first visit there 15 years ago. I walked non-stop and almost had heat stroke. I think I was a little too enthusiastic wanting to see as much as possible during a brief stay. So I was better prepared on my recent trip last year. It was the intense summer sun that made me want to paint Albergo Abruzzi, a hotel at Piazza della Rotonda right next to the Pantheon. A lot of buildings in Rome, including this one, sport amazingly warm colors in their [...]

Roma, Italia XIV, Italian Landscape Painting

1/30/2009 1:25:56 PM

Roma, Italia XIV This is a busy scene with lots of things going on. Can you hear... a cameriere busily serving coffee inside the bar, neighbors catching up on what's happened in each other's life, a man trying to join in the conversation from a balcony upstairs, and another opening a huge door to his apartment, and probably one or two vespas zipping by in the background (or foreground) every few seconds? I don't even remember the name of this street in Rome, but I am glad that I captured this slice of daily life. Another of my fond memories of the [...]

Roma, Italia X, Italian Landscape Painting

1/27/2009 5:19:22 PM

Roma, Italia X Some streets in the world are so well-known that the name itself has become an icon of something many people can associate with: Wall Street, Abbey Road, La Rambla, Champs-Elysées, Appian Way... just to name a few. This alley in Rome is definitely not one of those streets, as far as I know. In fact, I could have easily walked past without looking if a glaring reflection on the car hadn't blinded me. I turned to my right, and there I saw this view. The whole atmosphere was so arresting I knew I had to paint it. Roma, Italia X A larger image of [...]

A Boy in Vatican City, Italian Landscape Painting

1/20/2009 7:16:29 PM

A Boy in Vatican City I spotted this Italian boy in Vatican City. He was sitting on the steps that define the massive St. Peter's Square. He was so absorbed feeding pigeons I doubt he ever noticed I was sketching the scene. When I think of all the things I saw in and around Rome, I always remember the pure joy of watching him just being a kid. A Boy in Vatican City Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 7.5 x 9.5 in (19.1 x 24.1 cm) Mat Size: 11 x 14 in Purchase: Sold [...]

San Diego Watercolor Society Juried Exhibition Opening Reception

11/6/2008 3:44:41 PM

Please join us to celebrate the opening of San Diego Watercolor Society's (SDWS) Novevmber Juried Member Exhibition tomorrow, November 7, 5-8pm at the SDWS Gallery. Free admission. Free parking. All the pieces chosen by juror Rich Hawk are original watercolor/watermedia paintings, and will be for sale and in display until November 29. I have "Roma, Italia XI" (award) and "Julian Christmas I" in this show. Roma, Italia XI Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 21.5 x 14.25 inches Mat/Frame: No Purchase: Please contact me for more details. [...]

Daily Painting - Roma, Italia XV

10/29/2008 5:48:05 PM

Roma, Italia XV Original watercolor on paper Image size: 8 1/4 x 11 1/2 inches (21 x 29 cm) Visit my website to see more Italian landscape paintings. [...]

Daily Painting - Roma, Italia XIV

10/23/2008 4:08:19 PM

Roma, Italia XIV Original watercolor on paper Image size: 8 1/4 x 11 1/2 inches (21 x 29 cm) Visit my website to see more paintings in my Italian Landscapes Collection. [...]

Daily Painting - Albergo Abruzzi III

10/17/2008 12:52:01 AM

Albergo Abruzzi, Roma, Italy III Original watercolor on paper Image size: 8 1/4 x 11 1/2 inches (21 x 29 cm) Visit my website to see more paintings in my Italian Landscapes Collection. [...]

When in Rome

9/22/2008 2:26:44 AM

Roma, Italia I When in Rome, I walk everywhere to soak up the Old World ambiance. I marvel at colors and architectural designs of the buildings and have fun thinking how I can paint them. I eat a sweet peach at the Campo dei Fiori outdoor market. I let my imagination go back in time to live in the glorious ancient times. I don’t mind getting up early to avoid a horrendously long line to enter the Vatican. I climb to the top of the Spanish steps to see the sunset. I don’t forget to stop for a gelato. At the end [...]